Takashi Toritani is expected to give the Hanshin Tigers his final decision during their next meeting. He is said to be talking to the Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres. Both teams might be willing to sign him to an MLB contract, but neither will likely go more than a year with a team option. Source: Sanspo 12/15/2014

The Tigers could have someone check on talent in Venezuela some time in January. They are also interested in Shunsuke Watanabe (38). He is currently playing for Leones del Caracas. He wants to make it back to the Majors, but could be open to returning to Japan if he gets no offers. Source: Sports Hochi 12/15/2014, MLB.com Player Page

Yoshio Itoi (33) met with Orix officials for salary negotiations on Monday and agreed to a 100 million yen raise. He is slated to make an estimated 350 million yen, plus incentives, in 2015. He was also selected to become the next team captain. Itoi is still interested in the Majors, but is currently more concerned about winning a championship with Orix. Source: Sports Hochi 12/15/2014, Nikkan Sports 12/15/2014

The media learned that the Rakuten Eagles are planning to sign Alejandro Segovia (24) to an Ikusei contract. Source: Nikkan Sports 12/15/2014

Hiroshima's Kenta Maeda (26) apparently told fans at a dinner event on Sunday that pitching in the Majors and winning a championship with the Carp were both his goals. Source: Nikkan Sports 12/15/2014

The media learned that Daisuke Yamai met general manager Hiromitsu Ochiai at the Nagoya Stadium facilities on the first day of fall practices on the 9th. He was reportedly offered a multi-year deal with a large bump in salary. Yamai asked for some time to consider the offer. Source: Nikkan Sports 10/16/2014

Rakuten Eagles

Motohiro Shima apparently has a clause in his contract that gives him the right to exercise his FA option if he plays in a certain number of games. Source: Tokyo Sports 10/16/2014

Team owner Hiroshi Mikitani could get involved in talks with Senichi Hoshino. The Eagles would like to offer their former manager some sort of position in the front office, but Hoshino is balking because of how long it took management to hire his replacement. Source: Daily Sports 10/16/2014

Seibu Lions

Ginjiro Sumitani was fitted for his 2015 uniform on Thursday. He is still waiting to talk to the front office about next season. Source: Sanspo 10/16/2014

Chiba Lotte Marines

Team official Nobuhira Hayashi told reporters on Thursday that the organization met with Yoshihisa Naruse to discuss his future. Nothing was decided during the meeting. The two sides will meet again in about ten days. Source: Sponichi 10/16/2014

Softbank Hawks

Hiroki Kokubo signed a contract to be Samurai Japan manager through to 2017. However, he can break out of it to accept a managerial position in the NPB. Source: ZakZak 10/16/2014 ... Sadaharu Oh would like to see a former player step in as the next manager. Kimiyasu Kudo could be his top choice. Source: Daily Sports 10/16/2014, Sports Hochi 10/16/2014 ... Oh told reporters on Thursday he met Kudo in Tokyo on Wednesday for an unrelated matter. Source: Sanspo 10/16/2014 ... Sponichi believes that Oh may have offered the managerial position to Kudo on Wednesday. Source: Sponichi 10/16/2014

Orix Buffaloes

The Buffaloes are not planning to post Yoshio Itoi. "I have not heard anything about it from him and my assistant Shosaku Yokota has said nothing about it either. I know it's something he wants to do. I hear he is also studying English. But it is not something we expected and he is an important part of our team. He's only been here two years. We haven't even won anything. It's still too early," said team president Ryuzo Setoyama. Source: Tokyo Sports 10/16/2014

The Buffaloes could be preparing to offer Chihiro Kaneko a three-year deal worth as much as 1.5 billion yen (includes all performance bonuses). They may also offer Yoshihisa Hirano a three-year deal worth a maximum 1.2 billion yen (includes all performance bonuses). Source: Nikkan Sports 10/15/2014, Nikkan Sports 10/15/2014 ... Sanspo feels the deals for Kaneko and Hirano will be three years worth a base 1.2 billion yen and a total 1.0 billion yen, respectively. Source: Sanspo 10/15/2014

Yoshio Itoi is expected to approach management about the possibilty of posting him to the Majors during the off-seson. Source: Sponichi 10/15/2014

Ryota Imanari hurt his right side while swinging the bat during his second at bat in the 4th inning of Friday's game against the Hiroshima Carp. He also ran into Takashi Toritani while chasing after a baseball in the 3rd. He was taken off the active roster on Saturday. Source: Sponichi 9/13/2014 ... Imanari suffered a strain in his right side and will require three to four weeks for a full recovery. Source: Sponichi 9/13/2014

Ryosuke Ogata hurt his right knee during fielding practice before a Ni-gun intra-squad game at Naruohama on Friday. He was taken to the hospital for tests. Source: Daily Sports 9/13/2014

Chunichi Dragons

Hitoki Iwase (left elbow) told reporters he was not going to pitch in another Ichi-gun game this season because there was no reason to rush a return and risk further injury. Source: Nikkan Sports 9/13/2014, Daily Sports 9/13/2014

Yuya Hasegawa sprained his right ankle during a game against Orix on the 3rd. He is still spending a lot of time as a pinch-hitter because his injury has not yet fully healed. Source: Sports Hochi 9/13/2014

Orix Buffaloes

The Buffaloes used Yoshio Itoi as a bat off the bench during Saturday's game against Nippon Ham out of concern for the left knee he hurt while playing defense on the 9th. Source: Nikkan Sports 9/13/2014

Tadashi Settsu (right shoulder) threw fifty-six pitches in the bullpen on Monday. He is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Yomiuri Giants at YafuOku Dome. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/3/2014

A batted ball bounced off the outfield wall during Sunday's game against Yakult and struck Akira Nakamura in the face. Nakamura was later diagnosed with a bruise on his right cheek. There were concerns about his vision due to swelling, but he appeared to be okay when he checked in with team trainers for treatment on Monday. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/3/2014 ... Nakamura was in the starting line-up on Tuesday.

Hayato Terahara had surgery on his right knee on May 27. He was discharged from a hospital in Fukuoka on Tuesday. He is scheduled to begin his rehab on Wednesday. Source: Sponichi 6/3/2014, Nikkan Sports 6/3/2014

Orix Buffaloes

Yoshio Itoi suffered a cut on his lower lip when a ball he hit bounced and struck him on the month during Sunday's game against Yomiuri. He needed three stitches to close the cut. They will be removed in about a week. He is not expected to miss any playing time. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/3/2014 ... Itoi was in the starting line-up on Tuesday.

Nippon Ham Fighters

Atsunori Inaba (left knee) joined the Ichi-gun team for pre-game practices on Tuesday. "I am at 100 percent in terms of hitting. I still can't run at full speed. I have some pain with my first few steps," Inaba said. He will return to Ni-gun on Saturday and could play in a rehab game some time next week. Source: Sports Hochi 6/3/2014

Michel Abreu might end up missing the first-half of the season with lower back pain. Abreu is currently getting treatment in the United States. There is still no timetable on when he might be able to resume practices or when he might be able to return to Japan. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/3/2014

Shinobu Fukuhara (right adductor) pitched in a Ni-gun rehab game against Yomiuri on Saturday. He entered the game in the 7th and retired the side in order. He threw fourteen pitches and struck out one. He could join the Ichi-gun team in time for the Rakuten series at kobo Stadium that begins on the 3rd. Source: Sanspo 6/1/2014, Sponichi 6/1/2014 ... Fukuhara looked good during workouts at Naruohama on Sunday and is currently slated to join the Ichi-gun team on Monday. Source: Nikkan Sports 6/1/2014

Yakult Swallows

Wladimir Balentien reportedly tweaked his left Achilles tendon while running the bases in the 1st inning of Sunday's game against Softbank. He was replaced on defense in the 8th. Source: Sponichi 6/1/2014

Softbank Hawks

Akira Nakamura was hurt in Sunday's game against Yakult. Yuhei Nakamura hit a ball to left in the 7th inning. The ball bounced off the wall and struck Nakamura in the face. He came out of the game and was taken to the hospital. He was diagnosed with a bruise on his right cheek. He is having some difficulty seeing because of swelling in the area. He is considered day-to-day. Source: Sponichi 6/1/2014

Orix Buffaloes

Yoshio Itoi fouled a ball off his mouth during his at bat in the 1st inning of Sunday's game against the Yomiuri Giants and suffered a cut on his lower lip. He was removed from the game and taken to the hospital. Source: Sanspo 6/1/2014, Daily Sports 6/1/2014 ... Itoi needed three stitches to close the cut on his lip. He is considered day-to-day. Source: Sports Hochi 6/1/2014 ... With a runner on second and one out in the 1st, Itoi hit a ball that bounced off an area near home plate and struck him in the face. He left the field for treatment and returned to finish out the at bat. He struck out. Source: Sponichi 6/1/2014

Motoki Higa and Alessandro Maestri were taken off the active roster on Sunday. Higa started feeling pain in his left knee on Friday night. He was examined at a hospital in Koba on Saturday and diagnosed with inflammation in the knee. Maestri has a fever and swollen tonsils (tonsillitis). Source: Sanspo 6/1/2014, Daily Sports 6/1/2014

Shinobu Fukuhara was taken off the active roster on Sunday with tightness in his right adductor muscle. He started complaining of the tightness after his relief appearance on Saturday. Source: Sanspo 5/11/2014, Sponichi 5/11/2014

Taketoshi Goto was taken off the active roster on Sunday with an injury to his left adductor muscle. Goto suffered the injury during Saturday's game against Yakult. He will require at least a week for a full recovery. Source: Sponichi 5/11/2014

Rakuten Eagles

1st round draft pick Yuki Matsui's relief outing on Saturday was cut short because of back tightness. He told reporters on Sunday that his back felt fine. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/11/2014

Seibu Lions

Ginjiro Sumitani took a ball hit by Yuichi Honda off the lower abdomen during the 5th inning of Sunday's game against the Seibu Lions. He was removed from the game and taken to the hospital. He was diagnosed with bruise. Source: Nikkan Sports 5/11/2014

Orix Buffaloes

Yoshio Itoi took an HBP off his right knee during Friday's (May 9) game against Nippon Ham. He asked to do his own thing during pre-game workouts on Saturday -- he got treatment for the knee and worked on his hitting in the indoor facilities. Source: Daily Sports 5/11/2014

Shinya Azuhata played in an Ikusei game against Tokyo Gas on Saturday. He was involved in a collision play at home plate in the 5th inning and struck his head hard. He was carried off the field on a stretcher and taken to the hospital in an ambulance. He was conscious. Tests at the hospital did not reveal any problems in the head. Azuhata told reporters he was fine when he returned to the team dormitory after the game. Source: Daily Sports 4/13/2014

Hiroshima Carp

Kenta Maeda felt some tightness in his right elbow before his start on Saturday. He pitched because he thought he would okay. He pulled himself out of the game as soon as he felt he could no longer be effective. The injury does not appear to be serious. The Carp are planning to take things one day at a time. Source: Daily Sports 4/13/2014 ... Maeda will get treatment and Hiroshima will check to see how he is doing over the next two to three days. There is a good he will miss his next start on the 19th against Yokohama at Yokohama. Source: Sponichi 4/13/2014 ... Hiroshima's chief trainer told reporters that inflammations generally get better after three to four days. Source: Sponichi 4/13/2014 ... "I do not think it is a major injury," said Kenjiro Nomura. "We will see how he is feeling today and tomorrow. He said it was feeling better than yesterday, but things could change tomorrow." Source: Nikkan Sports 4/13/2014

Yokohama Bay Stars

Tony Blanco did not play on Saturday because of discomfort in the back of his left thigh. Source: Daily Sports 4/13/2014

Orix Buffaloes

Yoshitomo Tani took a thrown ball (at close range) off his head while running the bases in the 8th inning of Sunday's game against the Softbank Hawks. He was taken to the hospital in an ambulance after the game. Source: Sports Hochi 4/13/2014

Yoshio Itoi left Sunday's game on defense in the bottom of the 2nd because of discomfort in his right side -- he felt something when he swung the bat during his trip to the plate in the 1st inning. It could be connected to the injury he suffered during spring camp. He left the stadium before the end of the game and got treatment at the team hotel. Source: Sports Hochi 4/13/2014, Sponichi 4/13/2014, Nikkan Sports 4/13/2014

Toshiaki Imae was examined at a hospital in Tokyo and diagnosed with an inflammation in his left calf. He will require five to ten days for a full recovery. He will begin his rehab at Ni-gun. Shota Omine will be called up to take his place. Source: Sponichi 3/16/2014, Sports Hochi 3/16/2014

Takashi Ogino got an MRI on his right knee on Saturday. There was fluid build-up in the knee and no problems with the meniscus. Source: Sanspo 3/16/2014

Softbank Hawks

Kenichi Nakata was pulled from Saturday's game against the Giants as a precaution after he started feeling tightness in the back of his right thigh. Source: Nikkan Sports 3/16/2014

Orix Buffaloes

Yoshio Itoi (right side) rejoined the Ichi-gun team on Sunday. He hit five over the fence during pre-game batting practice and could play in games against Chunichi at Nagoya Dome on the 18th and 19th. Source: Nikkan Sports 3/16/2014

Yoshitomo Tani (left foot) is set to join to the Ichi-gun roster on the 21st. Source: Sponichi 3/16/2014